Expressing Himself Through Art...

Title: Big, Fat Meanie Dad

Artist: Son #3, age 6

He spelled it "mene" (with the final 'e' on a different line) but we got the point. I told Dear Hubby that I'm going to mat and frame it for his office.

The cause of the artist's wrath: Dad said he couldn't have brownies and cake for dinner. (Can't blame a guy for trying, though.)

FLU - The Sequel :-(

Those of you who read my blog at least semi-regularly are probably thinking, oh, she already blogged about Son #3's recent bout with the flu. But, sorry to say, this is a new flu post.

First, I have to say that for a family of five living in a house smaller than 1200 sf, it's pretty amazing that only Son #3 suffered from the flu. The rest of us managed to dodge it. (Click here if you need a refresher.) If there was a small blessing, it was that the kids were off of school for a week because of the Mardi Gras holiday and therefore, Son #3 only missed one day of school due to the flu.

That was then, this is now.

Fast foward three weeks. Yes, a mere three weeks. To the day. Son #3 (yes, him again) wakes me at 2:00 a.m. with a host of complaints. He's hot, he's cold, his tummy hurts, his legs hurt, his head hurts, he can't stop coughing, etc. This sounds familiar, I thought, but what are the odds?

I called the doctor's office as soon as they opened, and thankfully, they didn't try to encourage me to "just keep an eye on it for a couple of days" like last time. Bad advice for the flu. If you catch it within 24-48 hours of the onset of symptoms, it can be treated with Tamiflu. Tamiflu doesn't 'cure' the flu, but it decreases the rate at which it multiplies in the body and therefore lessens the duration and the severity of the symptoms (5-7 days, rather than the usual 7-10 days).

Of course by this point, the receptionist probably thinks I'm a likely candidate for Munchausens by Proxy. The doctor, however, check Son #3 out, did a culture for strep and the flu. Guess which one came back positive?

Yep, it's going to be a loooonnnnnggggg week.

Six

Then....



Now....

His "now" picture isn't the best...he had been crying seconds earlier.

My baby - the baby - is six years old now. His mood can change at the drop of a hat. Hasn't mastered the art of not blurting out every little thought that crosses his mind (we're working on it, but truth be told, I'm challenged in that area too). He can be very, very silly. And very dramatic.

He announced to his aunt yesterday that when he wants to go to court and change his name to Nicholas, and be cupid when he grows up. (He's been wanting to choose a different name for years now. Click here to read some of his previous choices.)

There's never a dull moment with this little guy.

If you're interested in reading his birth story, which I posted last year: click here.

Happy Valentine's Day

Dear Hubby had to go out of town last night on business, but he returns this evening. We have no special plans to mark this, our 22nd, Valentine's Day together. We'll exchange cards. We may go out to dinner tomorrow evening though. He hinted that he may have gotten me a little something, even though we agreed not to exchange gifts today (esp. since my birthday is later in the month).

This is from Blogthings.com:

What does your Candy Heart say about you?

Your Candy Heart Says "Get Real"

You're a bit of a cynic when it comes to love.You don't lose your head, and hardly anyone penetrates your heart. Your ideal Valentine's Day date: is all about the person you're seeing (with no mentions of v-day!) Your flirting style: honest and even slightly sarcastic What turns you off: romantic expectations and "greeting card" holidays Why you're hot: you don't just play hard to get - you are hard to get

General Updates

Son #3 finally recovered from his bout with the flu (see previous post). He was feeling better by Tuesday, but still had a fever through Thursday. He was feeling well enough to go camping with Dear Hubby, Son #2 and friends of the family. The state park is less than 5 miles away so if Son #3 starts to feel bad, it's no problem for me to go pick him up.

Son #1 opted not to go camping, saying he'd rather stay home and "help Mom." Yeah, right. Here's what I think the deal is: when camping, things start winding down around 9 - 10 p.m. or so. Early, by my little night owl's standards. Tonight - Saturday - is the last night Son #1 can stay up late before returning to school on Monday.

The kids have been out of school this past week because of the Mardi Gras holiday. Good timing with the flu - Son #3 only missed one day of school (last Friday before the break). And no one else managed to get sick (yay!). I think Son #1 wants to stay up late and sleep in a bit tomorrow (we can attend a later mass). Dear Hubby and his brothers will undoubtedly turn it relatively early and wake up shortly after dawn.

Son #1 and I ran a lot of errands. We dropped off the newspaper recycling, drove to two electronics stores attempting to locate a Nintendo DS for Son #3's upcoming birthday to no avail. (The only color we can find in pink, which wouldn't work for my little guy. The new color - Cobalt blue with black - is being released by Nintendo tomorrow if anyone cares. I ended up ordering it online.)

We also went to Home Depot to price a replacement set of landscaping lights. We stopped by the Christian bookstore to buy a gift, the bank ATM to get cash, Wendy's drive-thru for lunch, the shoe store (to buy two pairs of Crocs one for Son #2 - his broke - and the other for my father-in-law's upcoming birthday), Bed Bath & Beyond to do a little research, Barnes & Noble to peek through some books while enjoying a mocha (me) and hot chocolate (Son #1), Michaels Craft Stores (to use my 40% off coupon that expires today), the store to buy milk and finally home.

I asked Son #1 if he wishes he were camping and he said "no" so apparently we're not working hard enough. That's okay, though. I have an exciting evening of laundry and lasagna-making planned. :-)

We essentially accomplished all the little errands I thought we'd do this past week before being waylaid by the flu.

FLU :-(

The kids are out of school this coming week for the Mardi Gras holiday. It won't be a fun week, though. Son #3 has the flu. I knew his buddy at school was diagnosed with the flu and wasn't in school Tuesday and Wednesday so I figured it was only a matter of time.

Son #3 (who turns 6 in a couple of weeks) came home from school Thursday and complained of headache and nausea. I gave him a Children's Motrin, and he immediately gave it right back, if you catch my drift. He had a low fever most of the evening and couldn't keep anything down. Not even water. He and I spent the night in the living room with his new best friend, Mr. Wastepaper Basket.

On Friday, the nausea subsided. Or migrated south (if you catch my drift again). His fever was up to 101.3, but he was able to eat a couple of dry waffles. Later he complained that he felt like he "just got off a spinny ride" which I took to mean dizzy. I called the doctor's office and the nurse who screens the calls said it didn't sound like flu since his fever wasn't very high (later that evening it was 103.8). She advised that we monitor him "for a couple of days."

Persistence pays off, though, and she did fit us in. By this time Son #3 was quite lethargic and fell asleep on the exam table while we were waiting for the doctor. She walked in, took one look, and said 'flu.' She did a nasal swab to confirm (*that* woke Son #3 up). Since we brought him in within the first 48 hours of the onset of symptoms, she prescribed Tamiflu, which doesn't kill the virus, but it is supposed to lessen the "down time" from 7 - 10 days (!) to 5 - 7 days.

A good thing I didn't monitor him for a couple of days, as the nurse suggested. At that point, it would've been useless to start the Tamiflu. We're knocking wood (and obsessively washing hands) that Son #3 seems to be the only one affected.

Son #3 is more alert today, a little ornery and argumentative, which tells me he's starting to feel better. Still, it's going to be a long week.